News archive of March 2014

The Romanian defence ministry said in a statement on Monday that a vehicle carrying explosives crashed head-on into the military vehicle in which Claudiu Constantin Vulpoiu and his five fellow servicemen were travelling.

The Romanian troops were on patrol in Zabul province, on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. Vulpoiu, 41, had served in six missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Some MPs argued that only former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters should get state benefits, while others insisted that other guerrillas who fought in the 1998-99 war should also receive assistance.

SPO leader: Milošević was behind all murders

BELGRADE -- Vuk Drašković says that "Slobodan Milošević stood behind all political assassinations organized and carried out by the state security service of Milošević."

He said that there is now the political will to present to the people the whole pyramid of crimes.

Dozens of Turks and Bosnians celebrated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s victory in Sunday’s local elections by gathering to celebrate in Ilidza in Sarajevo and driving through the city honking their car horns and waving AK (Justice and Development) Party flags alongside those of Turkey and Bosnia.

There were 508 suicides in Greece in 2012, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), which represents a rise of 36 percent since 2008, before the country’s economic crisis began.

By George Georgakopoulos

Despite being left out of this year’s World Rally Championship, the 2014 Acropolis Rally was as spectacular and exciting as ever, easily emerging as the best race in the European Rally Championship, and with Peugeot stealing the show throughout by dominating the race and finishing first on Sunday at Loutraki.

BELGRADE - During their time in the government, the United Regions of Serbia (URS) did not syphon money out of the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) through party members, URS Presidency member Miroslav Cuckovic has said.

Two new members of the Greek cabinet are due to sworn in on Monday, replacing another two departing officials.

Theophilos Leontaridis will replace Maximos Harakopoulos as Alternate Agricultural Development Minister. Harakopoulos quit the cabinet on Saturday due to a dispute over changes to regulation on the sale of milk.

Kosovo dialogue "not right place to discuss Ukraine"

BELGRADE -- Milovan Drecun says he "does not believe that the EU will take advantage of today's round of the Kosovo dialogue to influence Serbia about Ukraine."

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Deputy Premier Evengelos Venizelos are due to hold a second meeting on Monday to discuss the fallout from the passing of the multi-bill through Parliament on Sunday night and preparations for the Eurogroup and ECOFIN meetings in Athens on Tuesday and Wednesday.